IPL 2016: 'If I had an answer to combat Kohli, I will be making a lot more money,' says Delhi Daredevils pacer Chris Morris

You are the fastest bowler this IPL. How do you manage to generate pace?

Speed guns are bogus. That is my honest opinion. Speed guns are not correct. They are not 100 per cent accurate. So, I don’t know. My personal opinion is that I am not a 150 kmph bowler. I am 145 max. I think my rhythm has got a lot to do with it.

You have been an example of bowlers not necessarily having to be hefty to bowl quickly. From where do you get that strength to bowl fast?

I have always been slimly built. I have never been one who packs on the pound. My dad, uncle and grandfather were all skinny. It is all in the genes. It is about my action, I have quite a whippy action, can get away with the pace. It is not all about the muscles. Mitchell Starc is a prime example. He is quite a thin, skinny guy and bowls fast. You don’t have to be hefty to bowl fast. It has to do with the action. 

Pacers often get injured. What are the precautions you take when bowling quick?

You can never predict an injury. All you can do is prevent an injury. We train really hard in the gym during the pre-season to keep the body strong. I always like to sum up ourselves as the Formula One cars. Every now and then the engine backs up and you need to replace the engine. It is all about preventing that. Injury is unfortunately a part of the sport. It is inevitable. It’s how you come back from it. The main thing is to try and keep things as consistently as possible. When you are changing your actions slightly, you bowl different balls, that’s when injuries occur. Fast bowling is the most unnatural thing a human body can do. You can never fully prevent an injury. You can only try your best. Unfortunately, injuries do happen and are a part of sport.

Having been a late bloomer in international cricket, what are the challenges for you as a 29-year-old to make a mark in international cricket? You made you Test debut only early this year...

I am not really looking to make a mark in international cricket. I am not the guy set out to break records. I am a guy who wants to play cricket for my country for as long as I can and enjoy it a lot. I am not really big on making a mark. It is my dream to play for my country. I am very fortunate that I can. I have been given opportunity to play cricket all around the world and do what I love. For me, it is about enjoying and living my dream. I don’t put any expectation on myself to make big strides in the game. I am going to be playing cricket and enjoying it.

In your limited international appearances, you have been a match-winner for SA. You almost won the game for DD with that 32-ball 82 not out vs Gujarat Lions. How seriously are you taking your batting?

Very seriously. There was always potential to be a batter. But, batting obviously took a backseat because I needed to be a bowler to make it to my franchise side. The last 12 months have been a lot of hard work, I have been working hard on my batting, hitting a lot of balls, work on my technique and work on my hitting zone. I have put in a lot of hard yards. It has not been fun at times. Sometimes it pays off. I am taking my batting seriously and hope to be getting runs. I want to be a genuine all-rounder.

Do you think you are getting the recognition of a genuine all-rounder? Do you think you can emulate Jacques Kallis in the all-round department?

I don’t think anyone can emulate Kallis, no matter who he is. Jacques Kallis is once-in-a-generation player. Those records he has got are for a reason. Don’t think anyone can compete with what Jacques Kallis has done in the game, especially for South Africa all around the world. You can’t emulate that at all. There is still a lot of work for me to do to be a genuine all-rounder. I am striving to be an all-rounder. If it takes me a lot of years and I become one just before I retire, so be it. I am going to keep working towards it and hopefully keep churning out the runs.

What does IPL mean to you? You are known more in India as the IPL star from South Africa.

IPL is an important part of a cricketer’s career. It is not just about cricket. It is a lot about experience. I genuinely believe, and I mean it, that you come to India to mingle with the world’s best players and the world’s ex-best players. You don’t just learn as a cricketer but you learn about the game and learn what it takes to be a cricketer. It is a big experience to be a part of the IPL and make some great mates.

You have been part of three IPL teams, CSK, RR and now DD. Which one has been most enjoyable? How does it compare with your T20 tournament back home or the other T20 leagues across the world?

Every team has had its pros and cons. They have all been enjoyable. Some guys have joined me (in Delhi Daredevils) from Rajasthan Royals and some from Chennai Super Kings. Each team has got an enjoyable moment, I quite enjoy learning from different players and different coaching staff. It has all been an enjoyable part of my IPL journey. No other T20 league compares with IPL, doesn’t matter where you play in the world. I have not played in Big Bash and I will be playing in the SA T20 Blast this year. So, you can’t compare anything with IPL. You have the world’s best players in one country. You cannot compete with the fan base. IPL is a tournament that as a cricketer you have got the experience, doesn’t matter for what price you come for. I’d have come for $20,000 because that was my base price. It is a big experience and very very important for a cricketer.

How can you stop the likes of Virat Kohli? He seems to be doing no wrong, prompting AB de Villiers to say “In 2011, Virat was asking me for tips. Now I ask him”. 

Virat is a serious player. He is going through a serious purple patch and the scariest thing for me is I can see Virat can only get better. The guy looks like he has got his game sorted out in every single aspect. To combat Virat, if I had an answer to that, I will be making a lot more money (laughs). He is a serious player, he is riding it beautifully. Virat is in the best form and to get 800-plus runs in IPL is a serious record, it is going to be tough to get him out. 

What are your goals in cricket and in life? You seem to be a very humble person...

I want to play as much Test cricket as I can. It has been my dream since I was young to pay Test cricket. That’s what I have always wanted to do. Just to represent my country, that is massive. It is always an honour to play for South Africa with all the history that comes behind and all the players that have played. For me to pitch in for my country is unbelievable. To play as much as I can for my country, that is what I strive to do. It is a difficult team to crack into. If it takes another five years to play another game for my country, I will be happy. I don’t mind biding my time to be able to play there. 

Coming from South Africa that is known for its wildlife and the Big Five, what has been your favourite or memorable moment being in the wild? 

My favourite moment being in a game is being to see a leopard in the wild for the first time. You don’t often see them. That was a great experience. The nice thing about the bush is you see something new every day. It’s awesome. I love the bush, you learn something new every day. It is pretty similar to cricket. You never stop learning about the bush and you never stop learning about cricket.

Do you go on a game with your fellow Protea cricketers?

Albie Morkel has got a house in the game farm that we go to. I go a lot with my father and brother-in-law when they go hunting. I love the bush because there is no cell phone and no TV. You are switched off from the rest of the world. It is quite nice.

MORRIS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

BATTING

               TESTS   ODIS   T20Is

Mts           2            11        11
Inns          3             6           5
NO           0             1           2
Runs      98          96        44
Hs           69          62        17*
Avg     32.66    19.20   14.66
SR        55.36 102.12  112.82
50s          1             1          --

BOWLING

Wickets     4          13         16
Best         1/8       3/74      4/27
Avg         63.25  39.38    22.06
Economy 4.14     6.36     8.82

CHRIS MORRIS IN IPL (before start of DD vs RCB on Sunday)
                             

                            CSK (2013)     RR (2015)     DD (2016)

BATTING
Mts                             16                     11                11
Inns                             6                         7                6
NO                              4                         5                 3
Runs                         14                      76             168
Hs                                7*                    34*             82*
Ave                         7.00                  38.00         56.00
SR                        87.50                 165.21      184.61
50s                             --                       --                  1

BOWLING
Wickets                     15                      13              12
Best                        3/40                   4/23          2/30
Average               26.73                23.92         23.08
Economy                8.02                  7.40           6.75